Fall River woman continues husband's cancer fight

By Deborah Allard, The Herald News

Wendy Edge and her son Michael Tremblay are honoring the memory of husband and father Frank Edge, who died on Oct. 18 of testicular cancer.

SOURCE: Herald News Photo | Dave Souza

Fall River woman continues husband's cancer fight

By Deborah Allard, The Herald News

Updated: 7:57 AM EST Nov 17, 2013

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FALL RIVER, Mass. —

Wendy Edge plans to use her husband's death to bring about change and awareness, our news partners at the Herald-News reported.

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Edge lost her husband, Frank, to testicular cancer on Oct. 18. Many people knew him from his #FranksFight social media campaign.

Edge said she plans to start a foundation and make use of the fundraising skills she learned from #FranksFight to help other families dealing with testicular cancer, a form of cancer she said is embarrassing and that people don't talk about.

"My goal is to fight for him and others," Edge said.

In the two years that Frank Edge fought for his life, Edge said they received support, including financial help, from friends and from the mixed martial arts community, a group of MMA fighters and fans.

Frank was a fan of MMA, and when he shared his story on an online MMA forum, the support came pouring in. Edge said she and her husband were able to live a better life due to the financial donations.

The MMA community held numerous fundraisers and sold T-shirts to help the couple and their two sons, now ages 18 and 20. They even hired a professional public relations firm to promote #FranksFight, which led Frank to do several radio interviews.

The couple was flown to Las Vegas over the summer for the Invicta fighting championships and walked the red carpet.

"He started to do things he wanted to do but hadn't," Edge said.

Frank was 39 when he died.

He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June 2011. After undergoing chemotherapy, his cancer initially went into remission but came back five months later. He could no longer work as a metal manufacturer.

The Herald News covered Frank's battle and the support he garnered from the MMA community last year.

The story was published just before Frank's last shot at a cure: a stem cell transplant. He was sick and fell unconscious. Massive rounds of chemotherapy left him feeling ill. The transplant failed.

The cancer, Edge said, spread to various parts of his body. In the end, he could only rely on hospice and pain medication.

"He went through a long struggle," Edge said.

Knowing he would die, Frank prepared everything for his funeral and told Edge all of his wishes. He was cremated and his ashes were split into five urns for his family members. Some of his ashes have been spread in his favorite places. Edge and the boys each wear necklaces that contain some of Frank's ashes.

When Frank was alive, he told his wife to look for signs that he was with her.

She's found those signs on several occasions: in pennies from heaven found in her home, in feelings that he is with her, and in a wedding anniversary card that found its way to her through a friend.

Edge keeps her husband alive through her memories, through #FranksFight and also by exhibiting his "obnoxious" behavior. She said she likes to update his Facebook page, and for a while she used his phone to text "Boo" to friends.

"Even when he was sick, he made me laugh," Edge said. "He was obnoxious."

Edge said she plans to continue Frank's fight so that other people may not lose their husband, son or brother.